NEW DELHI: India and Canada issued a joint leaders’ statement on Monday after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney during Carney’s official visit to India from Feb. 27 to March 2. The statement said the two countries agreed to rebuild momentum across trade, energy, technology and security cooperation, describing a “renewed strategic partnership” and setting out multiple dialogue tracks to guide work between their governments.
The leaders said they had agreed on terms of reference to advance negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a trade framework that both sides said they aim to conclude by the end of 2026. They set a goal of lifting bilateral trade to $50 billion by 2030, up from about $9 billion in 2024–25, and said they would encourage two-way investment and deeper commercial links in sectors including manufacturing, services and resilient supply chains.
Energy and critical minerals featured prominently, with both sides highlighting energy security and diversification of supply. The leaders welcomed an institutional clean energy cooperation framework covering areas such as solar, wind, bioenergy, small hydro, energy storage and capacity-building. They also cited expanded cooperation on conventional energy, civil nuclear energy and critical minerals, and Canada announced a $2.6 billion agreement for Saskatchewan-based Cameco to supply nearly 22 million pounds of uranium to India for nuclear power generation from 2027 to 2035.
Economic And Energy Outcomes
The statement said the two governments will use ministerial and senior-official mechanisms to coordinate work on trade, investment and finance, alongside sector-specific cooperation intended to support commercial engagement. It also referenced collaboration to strengthen supply chains and improve market access for companies, while noting broader areas of joint activity that include agriculture and advanced manufacturing. Both sides described the economic agenda as a central pillar of the renewed partnership.
On security and defence, the leaders said they would expand cooperation through dialogue and practical engagement, including steps to launch a formal defence dialogue and strengthen maritime domain awareness cooperation. The statement also linked the bilateral relationship to shared interests in a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, and said the two countries would continue coordination in multilateral forums on issues that include regional stability and international security.
Technology Talent And Trusted Digital Links
The leaders said they will deepen cooperation in technology, innovation and trusted digital ecosystems, including work on standards, secure digital infrastructure and collaboration between research and innovation communities. They also highlighted people-to-people ties, with a focus on education, skills and talent mobility, reflecting long-standing links between institutions, businesses and communities in both countries. The statement said these connections would remain a core part of the relationship.
Carney’s visit included meetings and outcome documents intended to anchor the reset, with the joint leaders’ statement presented as the overarching framework for follow-up. The two leaders said officials will continue engagement through established channels and new mechanisms outlined in the statement, covering trade negotiations, energy cooperation and security coordination. The talks in New Delhi culminated in a set of commitments framed around practical cooperation and scheduled follow-up between the two governments. – By Content Syndication Services.